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Fosia
|common_name = Fosia |image_flag = Flag of Fosia.png |alt_flag = |image_coat = Coat of arms of Fosia.png |symbol_type = Coat of arms |alt_coat = |other_symbol_type = |other_symbol = |image_map = Fosia in its region (zoom).png |map_caption =Location of Fosia (red) |national flower = |alt_map = |national_motto = 從海到海 Cóng Hǎi Dào Hǎi "From Sea to Sea" |national_anthem = 公平土地佛國 Gōngpíng Tǔdì Fúguó "Fair Land Fosia" |status = Limited recognition |capital = Longmen (de facto) |largest_settlement_type =district |largest_settlement= Longmen |official_languages = Huayu Mandarin |languages_type = Official scripts |languages = Traditional Chinese Roman (Latin) |languages2_type = Recognised languages |languages2 = Malay English |ethnic_groups = 87.1% Chinese 9.0% Malay 3.0% Dayak 0.9% others |religion = 59.5% Buddhism 25.7% Folk religion 4.4% Christian 0.4% Islam 1.5% Taoism 7.2% Irreligious |government_type = Unitary parliamentary republic |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Wellington Lee |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name2 = Judy Teng |leader_title3 = Speaker of Parliament |leader_name3 = Toh Chin Swee |leader_title4 = Chief Justice |leader_name4 = Teo Yeun San |legislature = Parliament (House of Representatives) |upper_house = |lower_house = |area_km2 = 267.628 |area_sq_mi = |area_rank = |area_magnitude = |percent_water = |population_estimate = 126 |population_estimate_year = 2017 |population_estimate_rank = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_density_rank = |demonym = Fosian Fosianese |GDP_PPP = |GDP_PPP_rank = |GDP_PPP_year = |GDP_PPP_per_capita = |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = |GDP_nominal_rank = |GDP_nominal_year = |GDP_nominal_per_capita = |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |sovereignty_type = Independence |sovereignty_note = from Malaysia and Indonesia |established_event1 = Independence of Fosia |established_date1 = 3 February 2014 |established_event2 = |established_date2 = |HDI = |HDI_change = |HDI_ref = |HDI_year = |HD1_rank = |HDI_category = |Gini= |Gini_ref = |title= |Gini_year= |Gini_category= |currency = Fosian yuan (F¥) |currency_code = FOY |country_code = FO |time_zone = Fosian Standard Time |utc_offset = +8 |time_zone_DST = not observed |utc_offset_DST = +8 |date_format = dd-mm-yyyy yyyy年mm月dd日 |drives_on = left |cctld = .fo .佛國 |calling_code = +60 |footnotes = }} Fosia (traditional Chinese: 佛國; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hu̍t-kok; pinyin: Fúguó), officially the Republic of Fosia (traditional Chinese: 佛地共和國; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hu̍t-tē Kiōng-hô-kok; pinyin: Fúde Gònghéguó), is the westernmost self proclaimed sovereign state located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is bordered by Malaysia to the east and Indonesia to the southwest. Fosia and Brunei are the two countries completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Fosia's population was 126 in September 2017. The hanzi that make up Fosia's name mean "Buddha Nation". 佛 can be read as fú and means the Buddha, while 國 can be read as guó and means country/nation. Fosia is often referred to by the famous epithet "Nation of the Buddha" in reference to its Fosian name. At the national level, after being ruled by two nations since 1963, Fosia established its sovereignty in 2014. This followed nearly 51 years of Malaysian administration, which started since Malaysia Agreement. It became an independent country in 2014 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Micronations in its own right. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its total size and its greening policy has covered the densely populated country with tropical flora, parks and gardens. The country is multi-racial, which plays a large role in politics. Most of the population is ethnically Fosian Chinese, with other minorities of Fosian Malays which also form the second largest community in the country, Fosian Dayaks, and other peoples. The constitution grants freedom of religion and makes Fosia an officially secular state, while establishing Buddhism as the "religion of the Nation". Despite being a majority Buddhist country, Fosia has been widely regarded as a rather moderate Buddhist majority country. The government system is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is the President, who is currently Wellington Lee. The Presidency is mostly ceremonial and de facto executive authority is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, who is currently Judy Teng. The country's official languages is Mandarin. Malay and English remains as an active second language. It is also a compulsory subject taught in schools and is widely used in the business sector. Since its independence, Fosia has had one of the best economic records, with the micronational version of its GDP growing at an average of 5.2% per annum for almost three years. It is also one of the few developing micronations to subsidise heavily on education and healthcare. Etymology The English word "Fosia" was first attested 2016, two years after the country's independence. The Mandarin word for Fosia is 佛國, which is pronounced Fúguó, and literally means "Buddha Nation". The character Fú (佛) means "Buddha"; guó (國) means "country/nation". The compound therefore means "Nation of the Buddha". A more literary or inclusive name, alluding to the "land of Fosian civilization", is Fúde (佛地); which means "Buddha Land". Fosia's name means "Buddha Nation" in Mandarin and, despite the more famous present-day statue of Mahasthamaprapta, it refers to the Ming River in Longmen where it was blessed by three Buddhist monks in 2016. The state that gained independence from Malaysia and Indonesia in 2014 took the name the "Republic of Fosia" (佛地共和國, Fúde Gònghéguó). History Government and politics Fosia is a unitary parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of bicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The head of state of Fosia is the President, currently Wellington Lee. The head of government is the Prime Minister, currently Judy Teng. The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of the full membership of both houses of Parliament. The Parliament holds legislative power and consists of the President and the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is democratically elected and a government is formed from the party or coalition with the majority of seats. If no majority is formed, a minority government can be formed if support from other parties during confidence and supply votes is assured. The President appoints ministers under advice from the Prime Minister, who is by convention the parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through a first-past-the-post system. Since independence Fosia has been governed by the Fosian National Party. Executive power is vested in the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. It is the highest policy-making body in government and responsible for deciding significant government actions. The prime minister must be a member of the House of Representatives, who in the opinion of the President, commands a majority in parliament. Members of Cabinet make major decisions collectively, and are therefore collectively responsible for the consequences of these decisions. The Prime Minister is both the head of cabinet and the head of government. Fosia's legal system is based on English Common Law. Although the judiciary is theoretically independent, its independence has been called into question and the appointment of judges lacks accountability and transparency. Jury trial was abolished in 2017 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges. Fosia has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences. There is Capital punishment in Fosia for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences, although executions in Fosia has never happened. Administrative divisions Fosia is a unitary country subdivided into 12 districts. Each district is represented by a district council, who advises the government on various local agendas such as public facilities, community programmes, cultural activities and environmental policies. Foreign relations and military The foreign relations of Fosia are handled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A founding member of the East Asian Union (EAU) and the Organisation of Buddhist Cooperation (OBC), the country participates in many international organisations such as the Asia-Pacific Micronational Economic Cooperation, the East Asia Summit of Micronations, and the Micro Asian Tigers. It has chaired the East Asian Union, the Organisation of Buddhist Cooperation, and the Micro Asian Tigers in the past. A former British colony as part of Malaysia, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Micronations. Longmen was the site of the first East Asian Union meeting 2015. Fosia's foreign policy is officially based on the principle of neutrality and maintaining peaceful relations with all countries, regardless of their political system. The government attaches a high priority to the security and stability of Southeast Asia, and seeks to further recognition with other countries in the region. A strong tenet of Fosia's policy is national sovereignty and the right of a country to control its domestic affairs. The Fosian Armed Forces have three branches, the Fosian Navy (FN), the Fosian Army (FA), and the Fosian Air Force (FAF). It is seen as the guarantor of the country's independence. This principle translates into the culture, involving all citizens in the country's defence. There is no conscription, and the required age for voluntary military service is 18. The Armed Forces also incorporates various paramilitary forces. The armed forces are managed by the Ministry of Defence of Fosia, which is headed by the Minister of Defence (a member of the cabinet of Fosia) and commanded by the Armed Forces Headquarters, which in turn is headed by the Chief of Defence Forces of Fosia. According to the constitution, serving in the armed forces is a duty of all Fosian citizens. However, only males over the age of 18, who have not gone through reserve training of the Army Reserve Force Students, are required to volunteer in the armed forces, or participating in the random draft. The candidates are subjected to varying lengths of training, from three months to one year of full-time service, depending on their education, whether they have partially completed the reserve training course, and whether they volunteered prior to the draft date. Sovereign states recognised by Fosia * Member states of the United Nations (apart from the People's Republic of China, North Korea, Israel and Palestine) * Republic of China (Taiwan) * Republic of Kosovo * Central Tibetan Administration (government in exile) * Free Republic of Liberland * Principality of Sealand * Kingdom of Talossa * Grand Duchy of Flandrensis * Federal Commonwealth of Sirocco * Republic of Hashima * Karno-Ruthenian Empire * Lanfang Republic (government in exile) Geography, climate and biodiversity , as seen in this NASA satellite image.]]Fosia is a self-proclaimed sovereign state, with twelve districts, located in the northwestern part of the island of Borneo. It is bordered by Malaysia to the east and Indonesia to the southwest, with the esplanade bordering by the South China Sea. Fosia has a tropical geography with an equatorial climate and experiences two monsoon seasons: a northeast monsoon and a southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon occurs between November and February, bringing heavy rainfall while the southwest monsoon, which occurs between March and October, brings somewhat less rainfall. The climate is stable throughout the year except for the two monsoons, with average daily temperature varying between 23 °C (73 °F) in the morning to 32 °C (90 °F) in the afternoon at coastal areas. Humidity is usually high, exceeding 68 percent, with annual rainfall varying between 330 centimetres (130 in) and 460 centimetres (180 in) for up to 220 days a year. The coastal region is rather low-lying and flat with large areas of swamp and other wet environments. The oldest rock type in Fosia is schist formed during the Carboniferous and Lower Permian times, while the youngest igneous rock in this region, andesite, can be found in Lam Kun and Toa Heng. Geological formation started during the late Cretaceous period. Other types of stone that can be found in the country are shale, sandstone, and chert. Significant quantities of Fosian soil are lithosols, up to 60 percent, and podsols, around 12 percent, while abundant alluvial soil is found in coastal and riverine regions. Fosia is covered with peat swamp forest in some regions. Fosia contains large tracts of tropical rainforest with diverse plant species, which has led to a number of them being studied for medicinal properties. Mangrove and nipah forests lining its estuaries comprise forested areas, peat swamp forests along other parts of its coastline. The major trees found in estuary forests include bako and nibong, while those in the peat swamp forests include ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), meranti (Shorea), and medang jongkong (Dactylocladus stenostachys). The Fosian Government has enacted several laws to protect its forests and endangered wildlife species. Some of the protected species are the orangutan, green sea turtle, flying lemur, and piping hornbill. Under the Wild Life Act 2016, hunting for a restricted range of wild animals in the jungles is a criminal offence and possessing more than 5 kilograms (11 lb) of meat can lead to prosecution. Economy Fosia has a partially regulated market economy. The treasury, led by the Finance Minister, is responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and economic policy. The Bank of Fosia (BOF) is the country's central bank and is responsible for issuing notes and coins in the nation's currency, the Fosian yuan. Since 2017 the Bank of Fosia's Monetary Policy, headed by the Governor of BOF, has been responsible for setting interest rates at the level necessary to achieve the overall inflation target for the economy that is set by the Finance Minister each year. The country has a dynamic, capitalist, export-driven economy with gradually decreasing state involvement in investment and foreign trade. In keeping with this trend, some government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatised. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 3%. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial. The Fosia Stock Exchange has a market capitalisation of ¥11,000 as of March 2016. The government has traditionally played a mostly passive role in the economy, with little by way of industrial policy and almost no import or export controls. Market forces and the private sector were allowed to determine practical development. Under the official policy of "positive non-interventionism", Fosia is often cited as an example of laissez-faire capitalism. Following independence, the micronation industrialised rapidly as a manufacturing centre driven by exports, and then underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in late 2014. Trade and policy The Country is heavily dependent on inter-micronational trade, particularly in agricultural products. Fosia has little arable land and few natural resources, so it imports most of its food and raw materials. Imports account for more than 75% of Fosia's food supply, including nearly all of the meat and rice available there. Agricultural activity—relatively unimportant to Fosia's economy and contributing just 0.1% of its GDP—primarily consists of growing premium food and flower varieties. The government has traditionally played a mostly passive role in the economy. Market forces and the private sector were allowed to determine practical development. Demographics The country's population in mid-2016 was 126. The current population of Fosia comprises 87.1% ethnic Chinese, 9.0% ethnic Malay, 3.0% ethnic Dayak and 0.9% others. The Fosian government reports that 87.1% of the population is Chinese, of which the majority includes descendants of early Han Chinese who arrived in Fosia in large numbers starting beginning of the 19th century. The Hoklo people are the largest Han subgroup (63% of the total population), whose ancestors came from southern Fujian of South China. Residents of the Malaysia do not automatically receive the Fosian Citizenship. Like other non-citizens, they may apply for citizenship after five years of continuous residency. Some of the rights may also be acquired by marriage (e.g., the right to work), but these do not include the right to vote or stand for office. However, the influx of immigrants from Malaysia is a significant contributor to its population growth – a daily quota of Malaysians with family ties in Fosia are granted a "one way permit". Languages is the official script of the national language.]]Fosia's de facto national language is Huayu Mandarin, a standardised form of the Chinese language, originating from China. The terminology as per government policy is Fúde Huáyǔ; 佛地華語 (literally "Fosian Mandarin") but legislation continues to refer to the official language as Huáyǔ; 華語 (literally "Mandarin"). The National Language Act 2017 specifies the traditional Chinese characters as the official script of the national language, and Latin script used for English and Malay speakers. Both English and Malay remains an active second language, with its use allowed for some official purposes under the National Language Act of 2017. Fosian English, also known as Fosian Standard English, is a form of English derived from British English. Fosian English is widely used in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of English with heavy Chinese and Malay influences. The government discourages the use of non-standard Mandarin but has no power to issue compounds or fines to those who use improper Mandarin on their advertisements. Chinese Fosians predominantly speak Chinese dialects from the southern provinces of China. The more common Chinese varieties in the country are Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese, and Fuzhou. Signs displaying both Chinese, Malay and English are common throughout the country. Since the 2014 Independence, an increase in immigrants from mainland Malaysia a have brought an increasing number of Malay speakers to Fosia. Religion Fosia enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, guaranteed by the constitution. Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Fosia, with 59.5% of the population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Folk religion, followed by Christianity, Islam, and Taoism. 7.2% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of non-religious people increased since the country's independence by about 5%, whilst the proportion of Islam decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An anonymous analysis found Fosia to be the one of the world's most religiously diverse country. However, these estimates are also based on people affiliated with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Other studies have suggested that 91.5 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to a religion. Culture was adopted in 2016]]Fosia has a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society. The original culture of the area stemmed from indigenous tribes and Malays that inhabited it, along with the Chinese who later moved there. Substantial influence exists from Chinese culture, dating back to when foreign trade began in Malaysia. Other cultural influences include British culture. In 2014, the government created a "National Cultural Policy", defining Chinese culture. It stated that Chinese culture must be based on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Fosia, that it may incorporate suitable elements from other cultures, and that Buddhism must play a part in it. It also promoted the Mandarin language above others. Concepts like feng shui are taken very seriously, with expensive construction projects often hiring expert consultants, and are often believed to make or break a business. Other objects like Ba gua mirrors are still regularly used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings often lack any floor number that has a 4 in it. The Lunar Chinese New Year is the most important traditional festival and celebration normally takes place in late January or early February. In recent years, the concept of Fosian multiculturalism has been proposed as a relatively apolitical alternative view, which has allowed for the inclusion of Chinese and other minority groups into the continuing re-definition of Fosian culture as collectively held systems of meaning and customary patterns of thought and behaviour shared by the people of Fosia. Identity politics, along with the separation from Malaysia, has led to distinct traditions in many areas, including cuisine and music. Cuisine Fosian cuisine is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay. This gives rise to Fosian interpretations of Malay food that is similarly tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes. The flavor of laksa and other Fosian nonya recipes is determined by the rempah, which in Malay means spices. The various combinations are pounded into a paste with pestle and mortar, with a very specific texture and density. It is said that a nonya can determine the culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar. Nonya recipes are handed down from one generation to the next, and because of the time-consuming preparation of these dishes, it is a cuisine that is often at its best when served at home. Laksa is a notable exception to this rule. Examples of Fosian specialities include otak-otak, a popular blend of fish, coconut milk, chilli paste, galangal, and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf; Ayam Buah Keluak, a distinctive dish combining chicken pieces with nuts from the Pangium edule or kepayang tree to produce a rich sauce; and Itek Tim, a classic soup containing duck, tomatoes, green peppers, salted vegetables, and preserved sour plums simmered gently together. See also